b & w conversion

[NicholsonPhotography]

please c & c on my b & w conversion. I like it, but I feel like it needs something. Or maybe I'm being too picky?

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f280/stellar1110/IMG_1095bw.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f280/stellar1110/IMG_1095.jpg

[howzitboy]

looks nice but the white areas behind the child really draws the eyes. id darken it up a bit.

[NicholsonPhotography]

What do you think of this? Now I feel like her face is too dark...
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f280/stellar1110/IMG_1095bw2.jpg

[NicholsonPhotography]

Or this...(Are my halos too obvious?)
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f280/stellar1110/IMG_1095bw3.jpg

[Walkingmanblues]

Don't know if this works for you or not, and I hope you don't mind, but I thought I might be able to help. It sort of splits the difference between your earlier efforts.

Good looking kid, by the way:D

[NicholsonPhotography]

Thanks!

That looks great...What all did you do?

[MattMoore]

Sorry, I just had to try a sepia (its KINDA like B&W).

286452

[NicholsonPhotography]

I actually had done a "vanilla b&w" action to it first, but I need it just plain b&w for my b&w wall (black frames, white mats)...She's only 15 months, and we've almost filled up one end to the other!

[Walkingmanblues]

Thanks!

That looks great...What all did you do?

NP--

I don't know what image-editing software you are using, but this is what I did in CS2:

1. Gradient Map adjustment layer for grayscale conversion.
2. Applied a Color Mixer adjustment layer and played with the RGB sliders to adjust tone and balance.
3. Used a New Layer (Overlay blending mode) with 50% gray fill and then "painted" over the hot backgound with the brush tool and with black set as the foreground color.
4. Tweaked the contrast in Curves
5. Ended up with some aggressive sharpening in USM.

Viola!